13 Little Blue Envelopes

by Maureen Johnson

I read this book because 1) it was on sale and 2) Maureen Johnson is one of my favorite people to follow on Twitter. I love her to pieces on social media, so it makes sense that I would love her books.

It turns out that's not quite the case. Not that this is a bad book, it's just not particularly good. It's a solid "meh".

The premise is that this girl (Virginia/Ginny) has just found out that her eccentric, unreliable artist aunt has just died of brain cancer while touring Europe and left Ginny with 13 blue envelopes. Each envelope contains instructions and Ginny can only open them in certain times and places. Each letter has an assignment like "Find that cafe in Paris that I lived in for a month" and "Ask out an Italian boy". Once she has completed an assignment, she can open the next envelope.

Ginny is also not allowed to take along any maps, guidebooks, or any kind of electronics (including cell phone, camera, and computer) and she is forbidden electronic communication with anyone in America. Only letters and postcards to let the family know she's still alive are permitted. She does manage to find ways around some of these rules, and at one point she flat out breaks one of them, but for the most part I am in favor of these rules.

Ginny (16-years-old) is shy and introverted and has never been away from home on her own before, so to say that this experience is new for her is an understatement. In that sense, this is largely a coming-of-age story as Ginny explores the world and meets all sorts of people and gets to know herself better. She discovers that she can do fun and exciting things without her aunt, and at the same time, she comes to terms with her aunt's death. Despite the slow death that is brain cancer, Aunt Peg was in Europe and out of contact with her family when she got sick, so her poor family never even knew she was sick until she was already gone. One minute she was fine, then she left with no explanation and no forwarding address, then they got notice that she had passed and that they should go to the airport to pick up her remains.

The letters were also kind of Aunt Peg's way of saying good-bye to Ginny. In the letters, she got to tell Ginny about her travels and let Ginny experience parts of them for herself. She also told Ginny things that she never told anyone else, and I think that probably helped her cope with what was coming.

I know that Maureen Johnson has done some traveling. I don't know how extensive, but I do know that she did an excellent job of immersing the reader into every place that Ginny went. She boiled down each city to its most basic elements and presented them to the reader. In doing so, she was able to transport the reader all over Europe with Ginny, without taking away from the story. It was really quite brilliant.

The Primal Connection

Follow Your Genetic Blueprint to Health and Happiness

by Mark Sisson

This is the first book I have ever read by Mark. Up until this point, I haven't felt the need to read any of his books because I read his blog almost every day and I didn't think I could get much information from his books that I wasn't already getting from his blog. This book did kind of intrigue me, though, so when it went on sale for $1.99 for the kindle a few weeks ago, I went ahead and bought it.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Mark Sisson, he is huge in the Paleo/Primal world. His blog is full of wonderful advice about how to eat and exercise in a manner that more closely resembles the way our ancient ancestors ate and exercised, with the theory that this is better for us. He talks a lot about diet and exercise in his book The Primal Blueprint, which I really have no desire to read, because at this point, I think I have that pretty well under control. It's a great resource for those who are just starting on their Paleo/Primal journey, though, and I know it has convinced a lot of people to give up the grains, sugars, and processed foods that make up the standard American diet (SAD).

The Primal Connection is about incorporating other aspects of our evolutionary history into our lifestyle. The idea is that, if we didn't evolve to eat grains, sugars, and rancid vegetable oils, we certainly did not evolve to spend our days sitting in a cubicle staring at a computer screen. Not that Mark is advocating that we all quit our jobs to walk around in the sun all day (although how great would that be?), but that we need to be aware of the health risks involved in extended periods of sitting inside and what we can do about it.

To a large extent, I was right about the overlap with his blog. There was a lot of information in here that I already knew, but there was also some information of which I was not aware and that alone was worth purchasing the book. My favorite was a section on posture. I was ready to breeze through this section, convinced that the rods in my back are sufficient to keep me from having to worry about that. Turns out that's not quite the case. My rods don't extend to my neck (thank the gods), and according to Mark, the most common form of poor posture is when the head juts forward instead of extending straight up from the shoulders. Of course, because I spend all of my time in front of a computer, a TV, or a book, my head is always jutting forward. Since this book made me aware of what a problem that is (in addition to an injury I'm still dealing with as a result of said poor posture) I have been using the techniques mentioned in this book to straighten my spine and keep it straight. It's a struggle, because every time my mind wanders, my head juts forward again, but I do think that simply being aware of the problem has helped immensely.

Anyone who is familiar with Mark's blog knows that he is not one to say something just because it sounds good. All of his statements are backed up with hard scientific evidence and he is excellent about providing links and references to the science he uses to come to his conclusions. Which means reading this book has provided me with a list of other books on related topics that I now want to read. Just what I need: more books to add to my to-read list :P

Reality Boy

by A.S. King

This is such a beautiful story. King really knows how to tug on the heartstrings.

It's about a seriously messed up boy (Gerald) with a seriously messed up family, and what do we do with messed up families? We put them on television! So this poor boy's life as a five-year-old was broadcast all over the world. Except, as most of us know, it wasn't his real life that got broadcast. It was the stuff that made him look the worst, because that's what America wants to see.

Now that boy is seventeen and that show still haunts him. People recognize him as the little boy they saw on television twelve years ago and they judge him based on what they saw on that. Needless to say, the poor boy doesn't have a whole lot of friends. He is also still trying to deal with his completely dysfunctional family and the fact that his oldest sister and his mom just don't love him. His other sister left the first chance she got and doesn't even bother to call. His dad loves him, but doesn't know how to stand up for him. So the kid is pretty much on his own when it comes to surviving his family, and I mean literally struggling to survive.

But it's all OK because he meets a girl! OK, that's true, but it's not as cheesy as it sounds. Yes, he meets a girl, and yes, she makes him happy, but it's not that simple. This book, like all good YA books, is about defining yourself, rather than letting the people around you define you. OK, that sounds cheesy, too, but I swear it's not. The fact that his five-year-old self was broadcast on national television adds a whole new dimension to idea of not letting others define you. 

I think we've all heard the story of the poor tortured high school student whose family expects her to get straight As and get into Stanford, or whatever, but there are fewer stories of kids whose family expect (even want) him to end up in special ed and in jail. 

So Gerald demands better. This is after his anger management coach has spent the past couple years telling him that he cannot demand anything. Any time that Gerald demands, or feels that he deserves, or should get something, could become a trigger for anger when he gets disappointed. So he doesn't demand anything. He doesn't even demand to to live in a safe place, until of course, at the end of the book, after he and his girlfriend run away from home.

The girlfriend is interesting because Gerald's anger management coach has been telling him that it's not a good idea for him to be dating. Girls are untrustworthy and infuriating, which just made me wonder what makes him think that boys are any better. Turns out the coach doesn't really know what he's talking about. Or maybe he taught Gerald so well that Gerald is now able to handle a relationship, because Gerald totally handles this relationship. It is far from perfect, and of course there are times when the girl (Hannah) infuriates him, because any time you care about someone they will eventually infuriate you. But Gerald and Hannah learn and they get past their differences and they end up running away together.

This is where the demands come in, because they're not just a couple of dumb kids who run away because they think it would be fun. OK, they kind of are, but there is a very legitimate point to them running away. They refuse to come home until their parents treat them better. Hannah might never have been on TV, but it turns out that her life is far from perfect. Her older brother left and both her parents have checked out, so she runs away with Gerald and the two of them come up with a list of demands (as in "I have kidnapped your child and will return said child only after you have met my demands"). After a few hundred panicked text messages, her mom finally gets it and agrees to make some changes. Gerald's dad takes a little more convincing, but in the end, he comes around, too.

Before They Are Hanged

The First Law #2

by Joe Abercrombie

VACATION READ! Only one this time. Despite the fact that I had a lot of time to read on this vacation, this book is pretty long so you only get one review.

Before They Are Hanged is awesome and I definitely recommend it as a vacation read. Despite being long, it's pretty light and fluffy and definitely not one to make you think too hard when you just want to zone out. If you read my review of the first book of this series, then you pretty much know what to expect from this book. I was undecided for a while as to whether I really wanted to read this book, because there was some poor writing (and editing) in the first one. In the end, I'm really glad that I decided to continue reading the series, because I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Before They Are Hanged picks up right where The Blade Itself left off. Glokta is in Dagoska, trying to defend it from invaders and simultaneously find out what happened to his predecessor, who mysteriously disappeared. Jezal, Ferro, and Logen are following Bazal to the ends of the earth (literally) and they're still not entirely sure why. Meanwhile, up north, Bethod is dancing circles around the Union army, possibly through the use of magic. Threetrees and his gang are with West and the Union army, having taken pity on the poor naive fools and decided to help them out.

Without giving too much away, that's pretty much what's going on in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed it because I got to be reunited with all of my favorite characters. Abercrombie may have his failings as a writer, but boring characters is not one of them.

Glokta is as sarcastic as ever and he was my favorite to read about. I was happy to see Jezal turn into a real person instead of the whiny little bitch he was in the first book (and the beginning of the second book). Then West became "Furious" and that was just awesome. It was great that Dow helped him to find that side of himself when he most needed it, and I loved that he gave him the nickname "Furious". While I'm on the topic of Threetrees and his gang, Grim was probably the best. The one who never said a word until he needed to and suddenly it turns out that he can speak multiple languages effortlessly. Then he's the only one who can manage to say a few words for the dearly departed over his fresh grave and they were really great words. Go Grim.

I don't remember any battles from the first book (just lots of fencing duels), but it turns out that Abercrombie is really good at writing battles. They were gripping and suspenseful and there was more than one occasion when my family tried to get me to do something and I said I couldn't because I was in the middle of reading about a big battle and I had to find out how it ended.

Other than that, a lot of the things about Abercrombie's writing that bothered me in his first book still bother me in this one. He's got a little bit of the overly explanatory narrator going. I don't know if he's gotten a little better, or if it just didn't bother me as much in this one. He definitely still has a tendency to repeat words when he should just let it lie and he uses way too many adjectives and adverbs. There was at least one (short) sentence where I wanted to cut about five words because they were all superfluous.

The Editor's Eye

A Practical Guide to Transforming Your Book From Good to Great

by Stacy Ennis

I actually bought and started reading this book immediately after having sent my manuscript off to an editor, so you might think that was too late for me to glean any use from it, but you would be wrong. Aside from the fact that there's always the next book, I really learned a lot from this book that I'm sure I can apply to my very first novel.

The most important thing I learned was the number of times I will need to have my book edited. I was kind of hoping that the editor I've already sent it to, plus maybe a proofreader later on down the road would fix me up. Turns out that's not the case. After the substantive editing stage (which is where I'm at right now, and I hadn't even known it was called that), Ennis recommends at least two rounds of copyediting and three rounds of proofreading before publication, and the last round of proofreading should be after the book has been formatted. That is not something I ever would have thought to do, but it makes sense. I know formatting is something a lot of people complain about with self-published books and I myself have come across at least a few that were badly done.

At this point, we've probably all heard about the stigma of self-publishing and how it's reaching a point where that bad rap really isn't warranted anymore. I don't think I need to add to that fight, so I'll just stay out of it (for now). The point is that editing your book is an integral part of getting that clean, polished look that will help make it unrecognizable from traditionally published books. This book emphasizes that point, and by extension, the need for multiple revisions.

There are a couple statements Ennis makes about the editing/writing process that I don't agree with. For starters, she defines editing as everything you do to get a book from the idea stage to the published stage, including writing the rough draft. I can't agree with that when I've heard so many other people say that the best thing to do is to turn off the editing part of your brain while you write. Just get the words down on the page before you review and try to change them. They are, in fact, two different processes. Writing is messy. Editing is cleaning up and organizing the mess.

I also disagreed with her position that every writer needs an outline. Her evidence is a few bestselling authors who use outlines. Good for them. They've found a system that works well for them and that's awesome. That doesn't mean that system works for everyone. Personally, I hate outlines, and I know I'm not the only one. My stories tend to be very character-driven, and in order to get a good story where everything flows and makes sense, I need to just dive into my characters and their world and see what happens. I've had too many major plot twists happen that way and I don't want an outline holding me back from staying true to my awesome characters when they decide to surprise me.

I've also heard writers complain about getting bored with their story when they use an outline. The way I see it, that's the worst thing that can happen. If you get bored by your own story, what are the chances that your readers will stay engaged?

East of Eden

by John Steinbeck

I never had any desire to read Steinbeck. This was most probably due to the fact that I never had to read any of his books when I was in school, and the kids who did read them said they were terrible. So I took their word for it and avoided him (avoid is a pretty strong word. It's more accurate to say that I did not seek him out).

That all changed one day when the receptionist where I work raved about this book called "East of Eden". She mentioned that they are remaking it into a movie with Jennifer Lawrence, and that's all I needed to hear to get interested. So I checked it out from my local library to see what it was all about.

It was awesome. I read the description on Goodreads before adding it to my "to-read" shelf, but had forgotten it by the time I got the book. I actually prefer it that way because I don't like to have any preconceived notions going into a book. I just sat back to enjoy this one and enjoy it I did.

The story is hard to describe. At it's heart, its really about destiny and human nature and the need for acceptance. The story starts with two brothers, Adam and Charles (their initials are significant. Think Abel and Cain). Adam has a good heart and is strictly nonviolent, and Charles is the opposite. I think Charles has a good heart, too. He loves his brother and his father. He just has this uncontrollable temper. Adam learns not to ignite Charles's temper, but one day he's not careful enough. Charles beats him within an inch of his life and comes back to finish the job, but Adam hides until Charles gives up and goes home.

A decade or two later Adam, being sweet but not too bright, names his twin sons (who are probably actually Charles's sons) Caleb and Aaron. Caleb does not directly kill Aaron (who decides to go by Aron), but he does do something very cruel which ultimately results in Aron's death.

The best part of this book was the depiction of the struggle between good and evil that happens inside each of us (OK, most of us. The mother of the two boys is just a sociopath). It also addresses the fact that this struggle is different for everyone. Caleb laments the fact that Aron doesn't struggle the way he does, while simultaneously admitting that he doesn't actually know that. Everyone else may assume that Aron is pure good, but Aron might not see it that way. Who among us cannot relate to that?

I have two favorite parts of this book:

1) The discussion about the story of Cain and Abel and how exactly it is written in the Bible, including different translations. That was a great conversation that brought to light a number of good points about the story, including the observation that Cain really got the short end of the stick and the possible origins of the story.

2) Lee. He was my favorite character. Part stereotypical wise old Chinese man, part mother. He is not only wise, but also hilarious at times. He would do and say things that completely surprised and delighted me. I probably loved him most for his blunt manner. Adam would try to dance around a topic, but Lee wouldn't let him get away with that. He always saw right through to the heart of the matter and he would talk about that and nothing else. I've always admired people who could do that, fictional or otherwise.

Deadly Heat

by Richard Castle

It's that time again. We're in the middle of summer break between shows, which means I've begun going into Castle withdrawal, which is interesting because I was kind of disappointed by this past season. It had a few good episodes, but overall, it was pretty weak. I have to say that I was really into the show in the very beginning, when Castle and Beckett were just dancing around each other. Now that they're together, it's definitely less amusing. I know they've been trying to keep the tension and the jokes going by infusing stuff into the plans for the wedding preparations, but I was never that into it. They're together and they're making it work and of course they're going to get married, so the stakes aren't as high. Nathan Fillion and Stana Katic are both very talented, and they're obviously doing their best to keep the lame jokes afloat, but I don't think even their talent is up to the task.

They do have great chemistry, though, and that has always been one of my favorite parts of the show. It was also one of my favorite parts about the books, but I feel like that, too, is slipping. This time around, I got pretty tired of Heat's jealousy every time Rook was seen with another woman. Her inordinate rage at the very sight of a particular ex of Rook's also seemed uncharacteristic. She admitted that it was irrational and out of proportion, but that doesn't change the fact that she's not acting like the Beckett I've come to know and love through the TV show. Castle/Rook has always been a bit of a flirt and has always had exes hanging around, and Beckett has (almost) always handled it like a lady. Granted, she had a few slip-ups before they were a couple, but once they got together, I don't think she ever doubted Castle's loyalty, and so I don't think Heat should doubt Rook's. It makes her come off as much more insecure than the detective I want to read about.

I was also kind of disappointed by Rook. I don't know if the jokes are getting worse, or if Nathan Fillion is just an expert at making a bad joke seem funny, but the whole book just felt like the writer was trying way too hard to recreate Fillion's natural charm. Considering I'm already picturing Nathan Fillion as Rook while reading, it shouldn't be that hard to make me love him every bit as much as I love watching, Castle, but somehow the writer managed to screw that up, too.

I don't want to leave you with the impression that I hated this book, because, despite its flaws, I actually really liked it. It was a fun, exciting read and I was happy with the way they tied up all the loose ends of the murder of Heat's mother. It was similar to the show, but only vaguely. It had enough originality to stand strong as it's own story, and it was a story that I enjoyed. Also, the Rainbow Killer made a pretty great villain.

Oh! And Detectives Malcom and Reynolds come back in this book! I was so glad to see them, not just for the Firefly reference, but also because I genuinely like them as characters. I would happily read about them even if they hadn't been named after the greatest space cowboy ever.